Boring Under 6' Sidewalk With Pressure Washer.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Ravenvalor

Ravenvalor

Senior Member
Location
Triad region of NC
Occupation
Electrician
Welcome Spring To All.

Hello, I have to bore a hole under a 6' sidewalk. I am thinking about using a pressure washer to accomplish this task. Has anyone ever tried this before and if so did it work?
I usually use a long drill bit for my smaller sidewalks (30").

Thanks,
 
I have done it with nothing more than a water hose and PVC from the buildings water supply pressure. A pressure washer should make it easier than that.

Roger.
 
K8MHZ said:
That worked for 6 feet? Cool!
Click to expand...
I have actually gone more than twenty feet in soft back fill, you just have to be patient as it works it's way through. Of course there are times it did not work.

Roger
 
roger said:
I have done it with nothing more than a water hose and PVC from the buildings water supply pressure. A pressure washer should make it easier than that.

Roger.
Click to expand...

Hey Roger, I have used the water hose version once and it worked well but time consuming and the sidewalk was only about 30". This is a busy restaurant under a busy handicap sidewalk. I think that I will rent a pressure washer and tell the forum how it went.
Thanks,
 
I always wondered how you fill the void left from the boring.
I have seen sidewalks sink or crack in those areas.
 
Sierrasparky said:
I always wondered how you fill the void left from the boring.
I have seen sidewalks sink or crack in those areas.
Click to expand...


Shy of taking out the the side walk the water method is probably the only method but as sierraAparky said, how do you fill the void? The water method, especially with pressure water will probably create a 6-8" cavity.
 
edward said:
Shy of taking out the the side walk the water method is probably the only method.
Click to expand...

Depends on how hard the soil is and how many rocks. If you have a straight ditch to where you wish to bore you can drive a section of 1/2" or 3/4" rigid for six feet easy enough in soft soil with a sledge hammer. Need to use a connector and and extra nipple on both ends so as not to bugger the threads.

I have a 3 ft long 1" masonary bit and some extensions that I think would do it.
 
Sierrasparky said:
I always wondered how you fill the void left from the boring.
I have seen sidewalks sink or crack in those areas.
Click to expand...
I never had any problems with "jetting" leaving voids, as a matter of fact, I have never been able to pull a long one back out due to the dirt filling in around the conduit as it went through.

Roger
 
growler said:
Depends on how hard the soil is and how many rocks. If you have a straight ditch to where you wish to bore you can drive a section of 1/2" or 3/4" rigid for six feet easy enough in soft soil with a sledge hammer. Need to use a connector and and extra nipple on both ends so as not to bugger the threads.

I have a 3 ft long 1" masonary bit and some extensions that I think would do it.
Click to expand...

This method may actually work better for my application since the job requires 1/2" rigid.
My plumber actually goes under driveways this way.
 
You take the nozzle off the end and leave the conduit in place.
If you can avoid it you do not want to push the water drill through, pull it back and then push the conduit in!

Tapatalk!
 
K8MHZ said:
So then what do you do?
Click to expand...

GoldDigger said:
You take the nozzle off the end and leave the conduit in place.
If you can avoid it you do not want to push the water drill through, pull it back and then push the conduit in!
Click to expand...
It's as GoldDigger says, you leave the conduit in place. I always used the size conduit I wanted for the raceway or one large enough to sleeve a couple smaller ones through and it stayed in place. If the end was damaged I just cut the damage part off and glued on a fitting.

When I said I was never able pull a long run out it was just because I wanted to test it.

Roger
 
Ravenvalor said:
This method may actually work better for my application since the job requires 1/2" rigid.
My plumber actually goes under driveways this way.
Click to expand...

there are a number of ways to skin a cat....

http://sidewalksleever.com/

http://www.bulletmole.com/index.html

just using a garden hose on a piece of pvc and jetting it is what i usually do....

need grc under? you can jet with it, or go a couple sized bigger in pvc,
and sleeve it.....

if i needed rigid, i'd just go with schedule 80 pvc

note:

i just watched the video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBvFH27f2iM
 
Last edited by a moderator:
growler said:
Depends on how hard the soil is and how many rocks. If you have a straight ditch to where you wish to bore you can drive a section of 1/2" or 3/4" rigid for six feet easy enough in soft soil with a sledge hammer. Need to use a connector and and extra nipple on both ends so as not to bugger the threads.

I have a 3 ft long 1" masonary bit and some extensions that I think would do it.
Click to expand...
We have an old hammer drill bit with a rigid coupling welded on to it and a corresponding coupling with a taper plug in it. Other than needing power instead of a sledge hammer the idea is the same and works well.

Water works too. The thing with water is you end up with mud, yuck.
 
roger said:
It's as GoldDigger says, you leave the conduit in place. I always used the size conduit I wanted for the raceway or one large enough to sleeve a couple smaller ones through and it stayed in place. If the end was damaged I just cut the damage part off and glued on a fitting.

When I said I was never able pull a long run out it was just because I wanted to test it.

Roger
Click to expand...

Now I get it.

I was thinking you were using the conduit to pull UF back under the walk. I wasn't thinking pipe runs for some reason. Duh.
 
K8MHZ said:
Now I get it.

I was thinking you were using the conduit to pull UF back under the walk. I wasn't thinking pipe runs for some reason. Duh.
Click to expand...


Look ahead to the future. Even if you are running direct burial for the whole "pull", you might as well leave a sleeve in place under the walk, driveway, or whatever, since redoing the boring process is a lot more annoying than opening the ditch later. :)
 
GoldDigger said:
Look ahead to the future. Even if you are running direct burial for the whole "pull", you might as well leave a sleeve in place under the walk, driveway, or whatever, since redoing the boring process is a lot more annoying than opening the ditch later. :)
Click to expand...

You got the creestal ball!

(My apologies to Frank Zappa)

:roll:

What you say makes great sense, though.
 
roger said:
It's as GoldDigger says, you leave the conduit in place. I always used the size conduit I wanted for the raceway or one large enough to sleeve a couple smaller ones through and it stayed in place. If the end was damaged I just cut the damage part off and glued on a fitting.

When I said I was never able pull a long run out it was just because I wanted to test it.

Roger
Click to expand...

Hi Roger
I always use 3/4 GRC. Have a set up I made from Lowes. 3/4 ball valve with a NPT to hose adapter and a 1/4 jet nozzle with NPT to hose adapter on the other end. Just screw it onto the conduit and wash it under the sidewalk. When you get through just remove the valve and nozzle. Just dig the hole deeper on the side you start from to catch the water.
 
roger said:
I have actually gone more than twenty feet in soft back fill, you just have to be patient as it works it's way through. Of course there are times it did not work.

Roger
Click to expand...


I have used same method in sandy soil and went maybe 50-60 feet with 2 inch PVC before. You need to use same pipe you intend to leave in place in that kind of situation as it likely will not pull back out.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top